Multiple head automatic powder filling machine



Cd. 10, 1944. c; CARTER 2,360,198

MULTIPLE HEAD AUTOMATIC POWDER FILLING MACHINE Filed Oct. 31, 1940 3.Sheets-Sheet l fig. J.

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O CL 10, 1944. 3, CARTER 2,360,198

MULTIPLE HEAD AUTOMATIC POWDER FILLING MACHINE- Filed Oct. 31, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 10, 1944. c CARTER 2,360,198

MULTIPLE HEAD AUTOMATIC POWDER FILLING MACHINE Filed- Oct. 31, 1940 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Oct. 10, 1944 OFFICE MULTIPLE HEAD AUTOMATIC POWDER FILLING MACHINE Clarence F. Carter, Danville, 111. Application October 31, 1940, Serial No. 363,767

11 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for filling containers with powder or other comminuted material and more particularly to that type of machines shown and described in United States Letters Patent issued to me on the 22nd day of August, 1939, under No. 2,170,469.

The object of the invention is to provide a container filling machine which is automatic in action and so constructed that a plurality of containers may be filled with powder or similar material at each cycle of operation of the machine.

A further object of the invention is to provide a powder filling machine in which the feed hopper,: filling heads, control valves and associated parts are mounted for rotation around a stationary hollow shaft or support to which are secured fixed valve actuating cams so that, as the machine rotates, the cams will actuate the valves to control the vacuum in said filling heads and-permit successive filling of the containers as they are fed into the machine.

A further object is to provide a filling machine including a rotary dial or carrier having a plurality of lifting plates mounted thereon for successively moving the empty containers to filling position in contact with the filling heads, means being provided for limiting the upward movement of said lifting plates to prevent damage to the filling heads.

A further object is to provide means for automatically stopping the machine should the lifting plates fail to properly return to their seats in the carrier or dial after each lifting operation.

Further objects and advantages Will appear in the following specification.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of a machine embodying the present invention,

Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view, partly in elevation, showing at the lefthand side of the drawings the mechanism at the entrance end of the machine for automatically stopping the machine in the event no can is deposited on the adjacent lifting plate of the rotating dial,

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view showing the manner of supplying compressed air to the pistons of the lifting plates and the conductor between the valve blocks and vacuum pump or reservoir.

The improved machine forming the subject matter of the present invention is especially designed for automatically filling a plurality of boxes, cans or other containers with any kind of comminuted materials, such as tooth powder, corn starch, baking powder, dentifrice and the like, and while I have shown a machine having six filling heads, it will, of course, be understood that the number of filling heads may be varied at will without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The machine comprises a supporting base 5 having a tubular member or hub 6 welded or otherwise rigidly secured thereto and which serves to receive and support a stationary hollow shaft 1, around which the other parts of the machine are adapted to revolve. Rigidly secured to the shaft 1 is a flange or thrust bear ing 8 which serves to receive and sustain the entire weight of the machine. Disposed above the thrust bearing 8 is a circular table 9 having its peripheral edge provided with gear teeth I0 which mesh with a pinion ll rotated by an electric motor 12 so that when the motor 12 is in operation, motion will be transmitted through the inion H and teeth I!) to rotate the table and its associated parts.

Depending from the table 9 is a boss M which engages the thrust bearing 8 and secured to the upper surface of the table by bolts or similar fastening devices I5 is a hollow casting l6 which serves to space the table 9 from a rotary dial or carrier ll. The dial H is bolted at l8 to the hollow casting I 6 so as to turn therewith, and secured to the central portion of the dial I1 is another casting IE to which is secured the bottom 20 of a hopper 2| adapted to receive powder or other comminuted material for filling the cans or containers. Secured to the bottom 20 of the hopper and communicating with the interior thereof are a series of depending spacing members or tubes 22, the length of which is governed by the size of containers to be filled. The tubular members 22 are preferably six in number and arranged within the hopper are inclined plates 23 for directing the powder or other material into said tubular members.

Arranged at the lower end of each of the tucompartments 23 and 29 covered by screening material, indicated at 30. there being ports 3| and 32 communicating with the compartments 23 and 29, as best shown in Figure 3 of the drawings. The discharge end of each tubular member is provided with a perforated closure cap 33 through which the material enters into the can or container, and surrounding the screened compartments is an annular gasket 34 against which the upper edge of the can contacts during the filling operation. An annular gasket 35 is also secured to the lower end of the shroud 25 with its free end terminating in a resilient beveled lip 36 adapted to engage lifting plates 31 carried by the dial l1, and which lifting plates serve to receive and elevate the cans or containers deposited thereon during the filling operation. Threaded in the lifting plates 31 are centering screws 38 against which the cans rest for preventing displacement thereof and centering the cans wtihin the shroud as the cans are elevated on said lifting plates.

Rigidly secured to each' lifting plate is a weighted depending cylinder 39 having a slotted flange 40 at the lower end thereof which re-' ceives headed bolts or stop pins 4i carried by the table 9 for limiting the upward movement of the cylinders and thereby prevent damage to the adjacent filling head. The number of lifting plates carried by the dial [1 corresponds in numbet to the number of the filling heads, and disposed within the cylinder of each lifting plate is a hollow piston 42 through which compressed air enters for the purpose of elevating the lifting plates, as will be more fully described hereinafter. V

Extending through suitable recesses or openings in the hollow stationary spacing member or casting i are a plurality of removable blocks 43, one of said valve blocks being provided for each filling head. Each valve block is provided with a vertical series of ports 44, 45, 46 and 41 having valve seats 48 for engagement with reciprocating valves 49. The valves 49 are normally and yieldably retained to their seats 48 by means of coiled springs 50 seated in removable caps 5| and bearing against the heads of the adjacent valves, as best shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. By removing the caps 50, the valves 49 may be readily removed and the heads thereof reground when necessary. The inner end of the stem of each valve 49 is threaded for detachable engagement with a bifurcated member having a roller 52 journaled therein which bears against a companion one of the stationary cams 53, 54, 55 and 56 secured to the hollow shaft 1. I preferably provide four valve actuating cams, one for each valve 49, as best shown in Figures 2 and 3 l of the drawings, said cams being so constructed as to actuate the valves in a plurality of cycles as the table 9 and its associated parts rotate.

The valve actuating cams are secured to the stationary member or shaft between the table and dial and are disposed within and housed and protected by the hollow spacing member l6 while the valve blocks 43 extend through openings or recesses in said hollow spacing member opposite the cams so that the valve blocks and their associated parts are likewise housed and protected, said valve blocks and'valves being removable as a unit from the recesses or openings in the hollow spacing member to facilitatemaking any necessary repairs thereto. Communicating with the port 44,45 a flexible conductor 51 which enters an opening 58 in the castin I6,

and communicating with said opening is a branch conductor 59 which leads to one of the compartments of the adjacent filling head. A similar conductor 59 communicates with the other compartment of the filling head and with the port for the purpose of exhausting air from said filling heads, as described in my previous patent.

Formed in each valve block 43 is a manifold Bl which communicates with the ports 44; 45 and 46, and connected with said manifold is a flexible conductor 62 leading to the interior of the shroud, as indicated at 63, so as to exhaust air from the shroud at the same time the air is exhausted from the filling head and thus equalize the air pressure on the inside'and outside of the cans being filled. The port 41 opens to the atmosphere and the 'valve controlling said port is operated by the lowermost cam 56.

A vacuum is formed by drawing air from the filling heads through the tubes 59 and to the valve blocks, and connected with each valve block is a flexible conductor 64 which communicates with an L-shaped nipple 65 carried by the central casting 16. The nipple 85 communicates with a passage 66 in'the casting l6 and dis charges into a chamber 61 disposed at the upper end of the shaft I; the air being thence drawn through the hollow shaft 1 to the lower end thereof. Threaded in the lower end of the shaft and communicating with the hollow bore thereof is a pipe 68 leading to a vacuum pump or vacuum reservoir, not shown. Associated with each nipple 65 and bolted or otherwise secured to the casting I6 is a guide block 69 having a laterally extending finger 70 which operates in a vertical groove H in the adjacent cylinder 39 so as to prevent the rotation of the cylinder together with its lifting plate when raising and lowering said plate. Secured to and depending from the table 9 is a three-way valve 72 of standard construction, the purpose of which is to control the admission and discharge of compressed air to the pistons 42 for the purpose of raising and lowering the lifting plates. Communicating with the valve 12 is a pipe or conductor 13 leading to the adjacent hollow piston 42 and also communicating with the valve 12 is a pipe or tube 14, the lower end of which is connected with a collector ring 15 mounted for rotation on the hub 6. The collector ring 15 is provided with an annular passage 16 and communicating with said passage is a vertical duct 11 formed in the hub 6 and connected with a pipe 18 leading to a source of compressed air supply. The collector ring 15 is connected with the table 9 through the medium of a framework 79 so as to turn with the table. Packing glands 80 are arranged above and below the collector ring 15 to prevent the escape of air.

Rigidly secured to the hollow shaft 1 is a rel atively large auxiliary actuating cam 8i and eX- tending laterally from the three-way valve 12 is a spring-pressed arm 82 carrying a roller 83 which normally and yieldably bears against the periphery of the stationary cam 8| and is operable by said cam to actuate the valve 12 to intermittently supply compressed air to and permit the discharge of compressed air from the pistons 42. It will, of course, be understood that each of the pistons 42 will be connected with a threeway valve.

Disposed on one side of the machine and supported by suitable framework is a feed conveyor 84 and a discharge conveyor 85 separated by longitudinal partitions 86, it being understood that In operation, the cans or containers are fed one at a time from the conveyor 84 onto the lifting plates of the carrier as the latter revolves. Air under pressure is admitted through the valve 12 to the adjacent piston 42 which elevates the lifting plate with the container thereon until the upper edge of the container bears against the gasket 34 and in which position the shroud will fit against said lifting plate so as to form an air-tight connection between the parts. As the machine rotates with the containers in filling position, the valves in the valve blocks 43 are alternately opened and closed by the valve actuating cams for two or more complete cycles to effect the filling of thecontainers in the manner described in my previous patent. After a container has been filled, the valve 12 is actuated by the cam 8| to release the air pressure on the piston 42 which piston together with the lifting plate will be moved to lowered position carrying with it a can filled with powder.

It will be noted that the filling heads, valve blocks, lifting plates and associated parts are all mounted to revolve around the central hollow shaft carrying the stationary actuating cams so that there is very little wear or friction on the structural parts of the machine while at the same time the machine will function to automatically receive, fill and discharge any desired number of cans or containers at each operation of said machine.

From the foregoing description, it is thought that the construction and operation of the ma-.

chine will be readily understood by those skilled in the art and further description thereof is deemed unnecessary.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a machine of the class described, a sta-- tionary member, a container carrier rotatable about said member and including a table and a dial, a hollow spacing member interposed between the table and dial, vertically spaced valve actuating cams fixed to the stationary member between the table and dial and disposed within the hollow spacing member, filling means for the containers mounted on the carrier above the dial for movement therewith and controlled by variations in air pressure, valve blocks extending through openings in the spacing member opposite the cams, and valves mounted in said valve blocks and actuated by said cams for controlling said air pressure.

2. In a machine of the class described, a stationary member, a container carrier rotatable about said member and including a table and a dial, a hollow spacing member interposed between the table and "dial and secured thereto, vertically spaced valve actuating cams fixed to the stationary member, between the dial and table and disposed within the hollow spacing member, filling means for the containers mounted on the carrier above the dial for movement therewith, air conductors communicating with the filling means, valve blocks extending through openings in the spacing member, and valves slidably mounted in the valve blocks adjacent the cams and actuated by said cams for controlling the fiow of the air through said conductors.

3. In a machine of the class described, a stationary member, a container carrier rotatable about said member and including a table and a dial, a hollow spacing member interposed between the table and dial, valve actuating cams fixed to the stationary member between the table and dial and housed within said hollow spacing member, container filling means mounted on the carrier, means for lifting the containers into operative relation with respect to the filling means, air conductors communicating with the filling means, valve blocks extending through openings in the spacing member opposite the cams, and valves slidably mounted in the valve blocks adjacent the cams and actuated by said cams for controlling the fiow of air through said conductors.

4. In a machine of the class described, a stationary member, a container carrier rotatable about said member and including a table and a dial, said dial having openings formed therein, a hollow spacing member interposed between the table and dial for maintaining the table and dial in spaced parallel relation to each other, vertical- 1y spaced valve actuating cams fixed to the stationary member between the table and dial and housed within said hollow spacing member, lifting plates normally closing the openings in the dial and adapted to receive containers, filling means for the containers movable with the carrier, air conductors communicating with the filling means, means for elevating the lifting plates to move the containers thereon to filling position in engagement with the filling means, valve blocks extending through openings in the spacing member, and valves slidably mounted in the valve blocks and actuated by said cams for controlling the how of air through said conductors.

5. In a machine of the class described, a stationary member, a container carrier rotatable about said member and including a table and a dial, a hollow spacing member interposed between the table and dial and surrounding the stationary member, valve actuating cams fixed to the stationary member between the table and dial and housed within the hollow spacing member, filling means movable with the carrier, means mounted on the carrier for elevating the container to operative position with respect to the filling means, air conductors communicating with the filling means, valve blocks extending through openings in the spacing member, valves slidably mounted in the valve blocks and actuated by said cams for controlling the flow of air through said conductors, a source of compressed air supply communicating with the container lifting means, an auxiliary actuating cam secured to the stationary member beneath the table, and a valve operable by said auxiliary cam for controlling the fiow of compressed air to said container lifting means.

6. In a machine of the class described, a vertically disposed stationary member, a container carrier rotatable about said member and including a table and a dial, a hollow spacing member interposed between the table and dial, valve actuating cams fixed to the stationary member between the dial and table and housed within the hollow spacing member, an auxiliary valve actuating cam secured to the stationary member beneath the table, pistons mounted on the carrier, lifting plates secured to the pistons and adapted to receive containers, filling heads movable with the carrier, a source of compressed air communicating with the pistons for elevating the containers on the lifting plates, air conductors communicating with the filling heads, valve table and a dial, a hollow spacing member interposed between the table and dial, valve actuating cams fixed to the stationary shaft between the table and dial and housed within the hollow spacing member, valve blocks extending through openings in the spacing member, filling heads disposed above the dial and movable with the dial, air conductors forming a source of communication between the valve blocks and the filling heads, means for supplying air through the hollow shaft to the air conductors, and valves slidably mounted in said blocks and operable by engagement with the cams for controlling the flow of air through said conductors to the filling heads.

8. In a machine of the class described, a base, a hollow upright shaft rigidly secured to the base, a stationary hub surrounding the lower endof the shaft and provided with an air duct, a collector ring mounted for rotation on the hub and provided with an annular air passage communicating with the duct, a container carrier rotatably mounted about the shaft and including a table and a dial, a spacing member interposed between the table and dial and secured thereto, valve blocks secured to the spacing member, valve actuating cams fixed to the shaft between the table and dial, filling means for the containers, conductors for supplying air to the filling means, lifting plates mounted on the carrier, an air tube forming an operative connection between the collector ring and said lifting plates, valves mounted in the valve blocks and actuated by engagement with said cams for controlling the flow of air through said conductors to the filling means, an auxiliary cam rigidly secured to the shaft, a source of compressed air supply communicating with the duct, and an air release valve actuated by the auxiliary cam for controlling the passage of air through said tube to the lifting plates.

9. In a machine of the class described, a stationary member, a container carrier rotatable about said member and including a table and a dial, a hopper disposed above and movable with the carrier, filling head depending from the hopper, container elevating members on the carrier, means for elevating said lifting members to raise the containers thereon into engagement with the filling heads, flanges on the lower ends of the lifting members, vertically disposed stationary rods secured to the table and extending through the slots in said flanges and provided with enlarged heads engaging the flanges for limiting upward movement of the lifting members, air conductors communicating with the filling heads, and means for controlling flow of air through said conductors.

10. In a machine of the class described, a stationary member, a container carrier rotatable about said member and including a table and dial, a hollow spacing member interposed between the table and dial, valve actuating cams secured to the stationary member between the table and dial and housed within the hollow spacing member, filling means for the containers mounted on the carrier, valve blocks extending through recesses in the spacing member and provided with openings having ports communicating therewith, valves mounted for reciprocation in said openings, closure caps for the outer ends of said openings, rollers carried by the valves, springs interposed between the closure caps and said valves for yieldably supporting the rollers in engagement with the adjacent cams, and air conductors connected with certain of said ports and leading to the filling means, said valve blocks and valves being removable as a unit from the recesses in the spacing member.

11. In a machine of the class described, a stationary member, a container carrier rotatable about said member and including a table and dial, a hollow spacing member interposed between the table and dial, valve actuating cams secured to the stationary member between the table and dial and housed within the hollow spacing member, filling heads mounted on the carrier, valve blocks extending through recesses in the spacing member and provided with horizontal openings having ports communicating therewith, valve block being provided with amanifold communicating with certain of said ports, valves mounted for reciprocation in said openings and provided with rollers bearing against the adjacent cams, closure caps fitting the outer ends of said openings, springs interposed between the caps and said valves, air conductors connected with certain of the ports and leading to the filling heads, and other air conductors connected with said manifold, the valve blocks and valves being removable as a unit from said spacing member.

CLARENCE F. CARTER.

laterally extended slotted 

